


A Life Beyond the Stars

by MicroGalaxies



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: 80s mom has got it goin on, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-17
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-04-26 17:24:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5013457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MicroGalaxies/pseuds/MicroGalaxies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steven was always told by the Crystal Gems about how evil and ruthless Yellow Diamond is, but what happens when Steven sacrifices himself for assistance in destroying the Cluster, as well as to protect his newest friend...and meets her for the first time? (inspired by the Tumblr comic New Home by kibbles-bits) (INDEFINITE HIATUS)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue - Self-Sacrifice

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there, and welcome to my first attempt at written work for the Steven Universe fandom! Before the story begins, I'd like to say that this story is based off the Tumblr comic 'New Home' by kibbles-bits, and they have graciously allowed me to write this. Enjoy!

**Prologue-** Self-Sacrifice

The small boy that was Steven Universe watched as the gem he now called his friend was being held in a chokehold. The gem confronting Peridot was definitely a Homeworld resident Steven had never encountered before. She wore a dark forest green jumpsuit, the same style as those of Peridot and Jasper, even down to the pale yellow quadrilateral shape on the chest. Her pale turquoise skin was akin to that of Peridot, yet her hair was long and straight and pulled back into a ponytail.

While Steven was taking in the appearance of this new gem type, Peridot managed to free herself from the other’s grasp. Since she was small without her limb enhancers and was unaware how to retrieve her own weapon from her gem, Peridot simply glared at the Homeworld gem from the safety that was behind Steven. “No longer decommissioned, I see.” She taunted, causing the gem to physically become stiff with anger. “Yellow Diamond realized that your gem was…too easily susceptible to disloyalty. So I was recommissioned to find you and also serve as your replacement.” She smirked, causing Steven to pipe up, feeling that we wasn’t even part of this incident. “umm…who are you, anyway?” He asked nervously, causing the gem to visibly become less tense and angry since her rival gem was no longer threatening her. “I am Erinite. As I have read, I believe my gemstone here on this…earth, is found in some geographical location known as ‘Ireland’. Hence my name.” She said flatly, raising an eyebrow as she examined the boy. “Uh…what exactly do you want with Peridot? I mean, she’s not really a Crystal Gem…she’s just kinda…here. Trying to survive.” He shrugged. “Don’t try to make her seem innocent… _strange human_! She is wanted for crimes of treason against Yellow Diamond herself!"Erinite huffed, grabbing Peridot and creating crystal futuristic handcuffs to form another the smaller gem’s hands. She grabbed her by the cuffs, practically lifting her off the ground as she walked away, not even giving the boy a second thought.

"Hey! Wait!” Steven called, running after them. He ran in front of them, blocking their path. “If she goes, I go, too!” He said sternly, lifting his shirt to reveal the gemstone located where his belly button should’ve been. “I’m a half-gem, and Yellow Diamond would want to see a weird anomaly like me, right? Also, I’d like to talk to her- I have…uh…information that she’d be interested in.” He lied, “-but I refuse to disclose it to anyone but Yellow Diamond herself!” He added hastily. Erinite rubbed her temple, letting out a sigh. She pressed a button on the sleeve of her uniform, speaking into it. “The rouge Peridot has been captured. I have also taken a voluntary prisoner who is a male…halfling of sorts. He states he has useful information but refuses to speak of it with anyone but Yellow Diamond. Please inform her of this… _extra cargo_.”


	2. Chapter One - The Yellow Crystal (Blackout)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating in so long! I'm back in a groove and Chapter 3 is already in the works! Enjoy!

The Yellow Crystal was apparently the name of the ship Steven had been taken to. The interior was much like the other Homeworld ship he had encountered, but this one was abuzz with activity. Countless gems were running around it- and almost all of them were Pearls. What confused Steven was that besides generic body type and facial features, they were completely different from the Pearl he lived with back on Earth. These wore black and goldenrod yellow uniforms, all with longer hair that was slicked back. Each carried a wristband much like Erinite's, which apparently was a mobile communicator. 

As quickly as they entered the ship, both Steven and Peridot were put into maximum security cells that not even Steven could break out of like he once had. As Erinite silently walked away after confining them, Steven quickly ran towards the physical bars of the cell, yelling through the energy field that laid beyond said bars. "Hey! If I'm in jail, don't I get a last phone call?!?"He called, quickly learning that it was one of the worst things to say in jail. The Erinite returned with Jasper- which Steven quickly realized wasn't the Jasper he knew when he saw a circular orange gem in replace of their left eye. "Fine. Knowing that you're with the rogue peridot you'll be like her and won't shut up until we comply." Erinite sighed defeatedly, a very earthly phone system appearing on the other side of the the cell. "Jasper will monitor your call. I have more important things to do than listen to a human talk." 

Steven eagerly grabbed the phone, dialing his home phone number. "Hello?" Replied the voice of Pearl, who assumed the odd caller ID was simply a telemarketer. 

"Pearl! It's me! Stev-"   
"Oh my stars!-" he could hear Pearl yelling in his home over the phone. "IT'S STEVEN! Okay, I'm putting you on speaker...now tell us where you are so we can come get you!" She scolded, causing Steven to stutter.  
"Y-you can't..."  
"What do you mean we can't?" Questioned Amethyst.  
"I...imonyellowdiamondsship."  
"Steven, this isn't the time to play around." replied Garnet.  
"I...I'm in a holding cell on Yellow Diamond's ship. They...they found Peridot back home..and I know you guys don't trust her a lot, but she's my friend! She's public enemy number one to Homeworld and they were gonna shatter her gem! So...so I told them I had ever better information for Yellow Diamond, and I'd only give it to her face-to-face and if they spared Peridot. So they took us...and they don't know where you guys are. They were too preoccupied with the two of us-" Steven's explanation was interrupted by tears on the other end of the line. He could tell it was Pearl. "Steven...you saved us." Amethyst said in shock. "But you need to get back here immediately!" Shouted Garnet, concerned for the boy that was practically her son- the son of all three of them. Steven sighed, frowning as he glanced up at Peridot at the other side of his cell. "I promise I'll find my way back. But I need to talk to Yellow Diamond. When Jasper and Peridot first came to Earth...they thought...they thought my mom was still alive. So maybe if I tell her the truth about that and the failed fusion experiments she might leave you guys alone! She'll find some other planet to conquer if she thinks were damaged goods!"

There was a bang of a dust on the cell door. "Get on with it, twerp!" Growled the Jasper. Steven turned around replying with "Gimme a second!", before going back to talking on the phone. "-I'll stay safe. I promise. And try not to worry, okay? I'm a piece of precious information and I don't think they'd let me get hurt. I love you guys, and I promise I'll be home soon." He added, all of the gems on the other line crying out sorrowful goodbyes as he hung up right as the Jasper slammed her fist against the door once more. "I'm done." Steven replied bitterly, not liking this gem's attitude at all. "I see that. You know what, twerp?" She replied, pressing the button that allowed the door to open as she proceeded to walk into the cell and pick up the young boy. "I am, too." She growled before giving a very familiar head-butt that knocked Steven out.


	3. Chapter Two - Fascism's Finest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven learns how cruel and ruthless life under Yellow Diamond is. Lots of references to Fascism, Dictatorship, Totalitarianism, blah blah blah. Also male gems are a thing- but that's basically a drive-by fun fact. Homeworld is also a bunch of sexists.

Steven awoke to Peridot looking over him warily, gasping as he opened his eyes. "Oh my stars! I told her that she'd regret hurting you! I even got ahold of the Erinite and got her to file a report! Gems can bash on other gems without severe harm...but...but she could've cracked your skull like an egg!" She cried, monologging for a good minute or so before Steven interrupted. "Peridot! Stop! It's okay, see? The Jasper you came to Earth with did that to me, too. Yeah I wasn't expecting it, but I've been hurt worse by stuff on Earth."

Peridot took a step back, examining the half-gem. "You do have a point. Your eye didn't swell this time. How many fingers am I holding up?" She asked, raising two small green digits. "Two." Steven replied, while Peridot pondered over this information. "Well, that's all the medical training I've got- so I guess you're okay." She shrugged. "No egg-head?" He asked with a smirk, receiving a shy smile from the gem. "No egg-head."

Steven grabbed his trusty cheeseburger backpack, glad the Homeworld gems were too busy getting him into a cell to confiscate it. He picked out his ukulele, strumming random chords. "Might as well try to pass the time until something happens, right?" He asked, shrugging at his friend innocently. "How about the one we made last week?" He said, strumming a familiar mi-fa-mi-mi-fa-mi-ti-la. " _Life and death and love and birth, And peace and love on the planet earth...Is there anything that's worth more than peace and love on the planet earth?_ "

Suddenly a shudder came from the cell across from theirs. "Will you two shut up!?" Growled a surprisingly masculine voice. Steven turned to see a tall, lanky gem in the cell- a gauntlet on one hand which they had pounded into the floor. Their gem was located exactly where their left eye should have been, their black hair short and spiky. Unlike normal gems, this one had an oddity, which was the fact that its mouth looked like rock that was slowly crumbling away. "Hey! Mind your own business!" Replied Steven, returning the anger. He turned his back to face Peridot once more. "What is that, and what's wrong with it?" He asked, having never seen a gem in that condition before. "That's an Obsidian. It's a defective gem. Something in the chemical or physical structure of its gem is wrong, so his mouth is all crystal-y." The half-gem nodded in response. "But why did it sound like a guy? I thought all gems were girls or just didn't like to be called either?" Peridot sighed. This was not information that was going to make this trip any less dramatic for Steven. "Some male gems are created sometimes...but they're defective...imperfect, faulty, and impure. Do you know how in some chemical reactions, there's a by-product created that you weren't trying to make, but got anyway along with the stuff you wanted?" She explained, receiving a silent nod in response. "That's...that's what those are. Faulty by-products. Like that Obsidian. He's faulty. He can't do the jobs of a normal Obsidian, let alone pass for one of the normal ones. He's no criminal in confinement, but he's awaiting shattering."  
"Sh-shattering? As in-?"  
"Yes. Execution. Permanent destruction of one's gem and physical form."  
"All because that gem was different?"  
"Yes and no. Male gems are a highly rare occurrence, and a pure and perfect one only pops up once or twice a millennia. But this gem has something obviously wrong with it. The whole thing isn't ethical- kindergartens and defective gems and the prejudice of all this, but the shattering in a sense is like how you humans have your pets killed by chemicals that make them fall asleep if they're in too much pain. It's like that. These gems aren't cut out for this life on Homeworld, so we save them the pain and suffering of being a defective gem in a world of hundreds and thousands of perfect gems. It's wrong, but it's what's accepted and expected on Homeworld."

Steven looked out their cell at the gem, who looked like a caged animal in a circus. Pacing constantly and even using his gauntlets to pound the walls violently every so often. It reminded him of the first time he had met Ruby, who showed a lot of the same violence. Was Ruby defective in Homeworld's eyes? Of course Ruby was a defector, but defective was a whole new idea. Steven's deep thoughts were jarred by a fist on the forcefield door, turning once more to face the familiar Jasper from earlier. "Get up, runt. You're coming with us."


	4. Chapter Three - The Chair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven sits in a chair he's not supposed to. Yellow Pearl is more 3-dimensional and not a complete jerk. Also a Giant Woman and Steven technically drops the f-bomb.

Steven didn't fight the two Jaspers who took him from his cell, Peridot not saying a word due to the presence of two superior gems. "I'm probably going to go see her. I won't let her hurt you!" Called Steven to the green gem as he was taken away. Peridot watched longingly as her only friend was taken away, possibly to be never seen again.

As Steven was taken to what he assumed was Yellow Diamond's chambers, he got a drive-by tour of the Yellow Crystal. The holding cell area he and Peridot were in was multiple floors high, and reminded him of a prison on earth. He was taken from the holding area into the hustle and bustle of the ship itself. He saw many different types of gems, all doing something different. He saw an Erinite, which was more of an Emerald color and had longer hair than the one he had first met, who was carrying a stack of files along with multiple other Erinites who were also carrying files and looked more homely than the one that had captured Peridot. There was a group of Jaspers relaxing in a corner, having a makeshift shot-put match with a couple of Yellow Pearls, each crying out their own threats like "I'm going to file a complaint about this!" or "I'm reporting this to Yellow Diamond!". Steven also saw a group of Peridots, all crowded around an area of the ship that was broken and needed technological repairs.

Steven was soon brought to a very large room, a single floating chair about the size of at least three Alexndrites on top of each other, and a hologram touchscreen in front of it, along with screens of videos and information covering the walls around him. "We're here. Don't try any funny business, runt." Growled one of the two Jaspers as they let go of him, exiting the room and leaving him all alone. He walked over to the giant white chair, jumping onto it after a few tries, opening his cheeseburger backpack when he made himself comfortable. Suddenly, a familiar squawking voice spoke. "What are you doing?! That's her chair! Get down from there!" Steven searched for the source of the voice, only to realize it was coming from underneath his viewpoint from the giant chair. He got up, looking over the side to see a familiar Yellow Pearl. "Hi! I'm Steven! You must be Pearl!" He replied, waving down at her. Pearl immediately returned the reply with an awkward grimace of uncertainty. "What are you doing?" She asked, looking at his waving hand. "Oh! It's something we do on Earth when we meet someone new. We introduce ourselves and then wave sometimes or shake hands." The boy explained, the Pearl giving him an unimpressed look. Despite this look, she was quite intrigued by how the son of Rose Quartz was being so...nice. No one said hello on Homeworld. You did your job and respected your superiors with utmost hospitality- but there he was, taking the time to greet an insignificant Pearl like herself. What was he trying to do? Gain her trust, or just be nice? He was a young human creature, so she doubted he was old enough to conspire again someone...so it really was true kindness?

"Um...you okay?" The voice broke her train of thought. "Oh, yes! My apologies. Yes, I am Pearl. It's nice to meet you, Steven- but I really insist you get out of that chair before she comes back!" Pearl said urgently. Steven shrugged. "The Jaspers told me not to try any funny business and escape, so that's what I'm doing. Yellow Diamond wanted me in here, so she must expect that I'm sitting in her chair. Is she actually this big, I've never seen a gem this big before. All I've seen are Alexandrite, which is when my gems at home fu-"

"NO! Don't say that word! We do not use the f-word here in positive ways. It's a derogatory term for inferior gems!" The Pearl cowered, treating the term as a bomb about to go off. "Oh...okay." Steven said softly, "But is she really this big? Are there bigger gems than her?" "No, she's the biggest. Her and the rest of the Great Diamond Authority are about the same size. No one's bigger than a diamond." The Pearl replied, smiling as she praised her leader. "Wait. Great Diamond Authority?" He questioned, looking down at her. "I know Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond, but who else?" "White Diamond is the third member. We don't hear much from her anymore. She only had a small foothold on Earth during the War, and wasn't as interested in it as her fellow Diamonds. She still isn't. I believe she's currently still on Homeworld with the rest of her followers. Now Pink Diamond, however..." Sneered the gem, "No ones seen Pink Diamond since the war. Some say she was shattered by a rogue gem, others say she was a rogue. Her followers disbanded after she went missing in the War and pledged allegiance to whatever Diamond they sought fit. Since then Pink Diamond has never been honored in any pacts of the Diamond Authority. They believe she's gone forever. Shattered with her shards scattered across the Earth, most likely. But that's all history now."

"Huh. Thanks, Pearl. I know you guys or um...girls were made to be servants, but you're super smart!" He gushed, grinning down at her. "Why thank you, Steven. I shall take that as a compliment." Pearl smiled slightly, bowing in respect. "If I may ask, Steven- what is that bag you have there? If that what bags look like for humans" she asked, secretly curious about the lives of this species her Diamond was bent on destroying. Steven replied with a laugh, holding it up for her to get a closer look. "No, this is my backpack! It's shaped like a cheeseburger, which is a super-yummy food we have on Earth! I even have my Ukulele in it!" He beamed, pulling out the tiny instrument. "Do you guys have music here?" He asked, receiving a blank look as a response. "Okay, so music is basically just a bunch of tones put together to sound really pretty. Sometimes you can put words to it, too. Here, listen to this-" Steven said, strumming a beginning chord.

" _All I wanna do is see you turn into a giant woman,  
A giant woman!  
All I wanna be is someone who gets to see a giant woman.  
All I wanna do is help you turn into a giant woman,  
A giant woman!  
All I wanna be is someone who gets to see a giant woman.  
Oh I know it'll be great and I just can't wait to see the person you are together.  
If you give it a chance you can do a huge dance because you are a giant woman.  
You might even like being together and if you don't it won't be forever.  
But if it were me, I'd really wanna be a giant woman,  
a giant woman!  
All I wanna do is see you turn into a giant woman..._"

As Steven made a final strum on his ukulele before a dark shadow enveloped the chair. Thee boy looked up, seeing a pair of bright yellow eyes staring down at him, pupils made of black diamond-shaped slits. He gasped, murmuring out of both fear and awe.

" _Giant Woman..._ "


	5. Chapter Four - The Prisoner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Backtrack slightly to learn a bit about Yellow Diamond and the inner workings of her followers.

An Erinite. A single Erinite. Without escorts. That was the first sign that something had happened. 

"M-my Diamond!" Called the Erinite, almost tripping over her own two feet to reach the ruler's chair. She dived into a bow on one knee, looking up at her ruler urgently. On the other hand, Yellow Diamond seemed unaffected. "Gem number and purpose." She said flatly, bringing up a hologram screen. "Erinite Facet-257X Cut-626." She said with a salute. The screen popped up with information on the gem, making the bored ruler's expression become more surprised. "Cut 626. 626 cuts are multipurpose for times of peace and war. You've been switched to position of bounty hunter...for Operation Crystal." She said, looking down at the green gem. "Go on-" she pursued, the Erinite jumping up in excitement. "My Diamond, this may be the biggest victory since the fall of Rose Quartz! I managed to capture the defector Peridot, but there was an unexpected sacrifice....a...a creature. It carried Rose Quartz's gem, my Diamond. But it...it was human. It went by the name of Steven. He said that he had covert information he refused to share with any of your inferiors, my Diamond. He wished to give this information to you himself in return for the rogue Peridot's safety."

This surprised Yellow Diamond, looking down at the Erinite. "I do not doubt you, Erinite. But this is quite the most peculiar situation we've seen in quite some time here. Did you retrieve any vitals from this 'Steven'?" The Erinite nodded vigorously. "Y-Yes, my Diamond! A Jasper soldier had an altercation with him a few hours ago. DNA of the human was found of the Jasper and taken to Forensics." The ruler raised a brow. "DNA?"  
"Yes. Jaspers tend to knock opponents out with the ferocity of the weight of their skulls, which this one happened to do with..."  
"So she head-butted him."  
"....yes, my Diamond."  
"and what about this...DNA?"  
"DNA is the chemical compound of humans and other biological life forms. For example, you, my Diamond, are pure Carbon. I consulted a gem in Forensics about it. DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid and is the building blocks of organic life, apparently. Human genetic data was found in the form of skin cells and trace amounts of blood cells on the Jasper after the altercation. All genetic signs point to a human, my Diamond."  
"Then why does he have a gem?"  
"We...we are unsure of that at the moment, my Diamond. But there has to be a logical explanation due to the fact that he is protected by the three remnants of Rose Quartz's army, known as the Crystal Gems. They wouldn't protect him so closely and so fiercely if he was a simple human."  
Yellow Diamond pondered over this information, tapping the tips of her fingers against the arm of her chair. "Thank you, Erinite. You have done a tremendous service to your Homeworld and you Diamond. I will contact you if I need any more information on this matter." Erinite bowed, scurrying away and out of the Control Room.

Yellow Diamond let out a long, drawn-out sigh, leaning back in her chair. She lifted a finger in a swishing motion, causing a hologram screen to appear before her. "Video contact. Science and Technology sector. Forensics division." The screen went blank for a few moments, revealing a turquoise gem in a visor, her hair short to medium length and wavy. The room was dark, the usual yellow-green color scheme now dark black-greens and blues. Behind her were multiple other gem types scurrying around, including some Peridots. "Yes, my Diamond?" She asked, saluting gracefully. "Crysocolla Facet-X2G Cut-957, reporting in."  
"I just spoke with the Erinite who just successfully carried out Operation Crystal. She said your team had genetic data of the prisoner?"

The Crysocolla turned, looking in the immediate area around her. "Please hold." She said, quickly going away from the screen and the microphone device to yell. "Protocol 627! I repeat! Protocol 627!" As soon as that number was announced, some gems scurried away as the doors of the room were blocked off, only leaving a handful of gems left in the pitch-black room. With a press of a button, all control panels glowed bright blue, showing all of the shadowy faces of the gems. "Thank you for waiting, my Diamond. This operation is extremely covert. Lesser gems in this sector aren't permitted." Crysocolla said, looking at a hologram screen out of Yellow Diamond's view. "Genetic data....genetic data- ah! Here we go. All vitals were equivalent to that of a human male of his age and size. DNA is completely normal. Not a single thing leading to information of why he has a gem. I'll keep you updated, my Diamond." Bowed the teal gem. "Thank you, Crysocolla." She said before the connection cut completely.

The yellow ruler leaned back, letting out an agonizing sound between a sigh and a disgruntled groan. This was supposed to be simple- get the Peridot and try to shatter some of the last rebels in the process. Now she had a strange hybrid prisoner on her hands. "Pearl." She growled stressfully, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Get two Jaspers. Bring the prisoner to me. I wish to interrogate it myself."


	6. Chapter Five - Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven finally encounters Yellow Diamond.

The last strums on Steven's ukulele were sour as his body reacted to the surprise of the figure above him, leaving an erie twang of conflicting chords in the air to echo into silent oblivion. He gulped audibly, preparing himself for whatever came next. Then there was silence. The glowing yellow eyes narrowed in intricate concentration, the diamond pupils still glaring down at him. The figure did not speak for at least a good minute through the silence. It was examining him. Sizing him up for battle, perhaps? Was he going to be forced into an arena and fight to the death like a gladiator and a lion? Or was she inspecting him for injuries? If he was healthy enough, would they take him and study his odd existence as a half-human, half-gem hybrid? Or was her glare simply a glance at the monster out hybrid before execution? To rid their world of a monstrosity that should have never existed in the first place? 

"Get up." The words were flat, yet full of malice and spite all at once. As he heard the voice, a sword fell before him with a clunk. It was simple, made with silver metal and lacked any unique features. It was obviously made for someone larger than him, perhaps Rose Quartz, Garnet, or Jasper -or even an adult human being, for that matter- but definitely not a child like him. Steven grabbed it, trying to muster up any memory of Connie's sword fighting lessons from Pearl. He hopped off the seat, holding it defensively. He finally got a good glimpse at the ruling gem from the ground- first off, he realized her boot was almost twice his size. They were knee-high and a shiny metallic bronze-gold. Her pants were also a lighter -yet also darker than the other shades of yellow in her outfit- bronze shade. Her chest-piece was polygonal, making Steven remember that his family back home, the Crystal Gems were simply choosing to be of a more feminine, human form with curves and the like. It seemed like she was all sharp edges and angles. Said chest-piece surrounded the glistening gem emblazon in the center of her chest. The piece also tapered down into coat-tails, making it look like the most functional form of casually wearing a cape. Spiky shoulder pads distracted any onlookers from her unusually long neck, and yellow gloves adorned her large hands. Suddenly one of the gloved hands, so large yet looking so dainty and nimble, pressed to her chest, pulling out a gargantuan sword, which had to be the size of almost two Alexandrites. It was fairly plain, but the hilt was adorned with appeared to be smaller a versions of her diamond, yet not forms of true sentient gems. Even for a giant like herself, the weapon was at least half her height.

"You're going to fight me with that?!?" Cried out Steven, deciding formalities such as introducing himself weren't an option now that he had been thrown into a sword fight. "That's not fair!" He protested, drawing his sword once more, preparing for her to make a move- and she did. The Diamond lunged, letting out what he assumed what some sort of war cry or exclamation of anger as the sword came down, clashing against his own. That was probably just a warm-up, he thought. She wasn't going to be that easy on him. He didn't remember much of how to fight while he was simply a bystander when watching Connie's training with Pearl, but he did remember a little memory trick Pearl had showed her- a song. "Right foot...left foot, then go even faster-" he murmured to himself, swords clashing as he continued murmuring the song to himself. "Keep your stance wide...keep your body lowered...as your moving forward, balance is the key." After a minute of clashing, Steven felt like he had gotten the hang of it for now- at least enough to truly defend himself. He said no attention to the gem before him, but instead he concentrated on the sword. The sword was the highest danger at this point, and Yellow Diamond herself was secondary. Steven eventually decided to go on the offense, lunging when the larger gold sword pulled back- and so it went. Pull, lunge, clash. Lunge, pull back, lunge again, clash. Clash, recoil with the impact, lunge back. Clash, strike before they've fully recovered from impact, strike again, clash. The cycle went over and over and over again.

Both were fatigued, seeming to be at a stalemate. In reality, Yellow Diamond could have sliced the creature to chunks in under a minute, but she needed this prisoner alive. Sadly. She would've loved the feeling of destroying another follower of Rose Quartz. It was a pleasure to kill. To destroy, to put so much force onto a being that it shattered to bits under one's strength. The unspoken code was that seniority was loyalty. Most societies knew that, but theirs was more literal. If a gem had been a few thousand years old, they were loyal and useful enough to be kept alive. Death was a constant factor in life. Shattered pieces were taken for fusion experiments if the gem was more loyal in the end than another, while traitors were used as parts for technology. Humans used diamond drill bits, but shards of cubic zirconium were the sharpest drill bits on Homeworld. Shattering wasn't the end- it was only the beginning for said gem to live on restlessly in other forms, like a human body part being used elsewhere while its sentiment corpse cannot seek infinite respite without it.

While thinking about this, she let out a determined growl, eyes narrowed. Steven gulped. This was it. He had seen it on some nature shows that Pearl had said were 'too violent', but Garnet had let him watch them because 'Life on Earth is full of life and death. You're human, so you should know'. It had been about lions- not like his Lion, but real Earthly ones in the African savannah. They had stalked a heard of zebra and were in hot pursuit of one of them, eventually biting and ripping it into submission. He had realized that it was the message wanted him to learn- there must be both life and death at once. Like him and his mom. But at that moment on the Yellow Crystal, another part of that show was coming to mind- the lions' glares before they attacked, and how they mimicked the one he was getting now. Struck with fear, remembering how the lions tore out the throat of the dying zebra with their razor sharp teeth- was that going to happen to him? He froze as the sword was swung, as it came down on him, and as he braced for impact. Suddenly, with the loudest clash of all, the sword collided with the intricate shield of Rose Quartz, which Steven had managed to summon out of pure fear and distress. It shined gloriously, as if it was sentiment and knew it was fighting the number one enemy. The sword visibly shook, like someone had taken a yardstick and hit it against a large, hard surface with all of their might. Steven didn't realize the diamond could give him an even more hateful glare until he saw the sword vibrate from unsuccessful impact, but an impact nonetheless. She thrusted the sword downwards with a raging cry of anger, causing giant cracks to appear as the sword was lodged into it like a javelin. "Jaspers. Take this thing back to holding. Obviously it's some sad excuse of a ploy. It might have Rose Quartz's gem, but it is definitely not her. I'll decide how to dispose of him later." She growled, Steven hearing her voice for the first time when it wasn't simple orders. Before he knew it, the Jaspers had latched onto him, hearing the eerily calm voice speak once more as he was being dragged out. "Pearl, contact the Crysocolla in forensics. Tell her the specimen is all hers if she wishes to test on it."


	7. Chapter Six - Changing

Peridot watched as the guards did their rounds, each one passing by every minute or two. Eventually the shifts changed, new gems pacing the long halls of prison cells. It was all so boring- that is, until an Erinite appeared at her cell. "Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG. This was found on your person upon arrival. It turned out to not pose any threat, so it is being returned to you." She announced, as if reciting it from pre-written words, then proceeding to produce a drop-bin from the yellow barrier, dropping it in before said drop-box dissipated back into the wall. Peridot grabbed the familiar grey plastic rectangle- her tape recorder. "Oh my stars!" Peridot exclaimed, picking it up carefully before coddling it. "I've missed you so much, my sweet Earth communications log!" She cooed, deciding to be some of her time by taking a trip down memory lane. She pressed the rewind button, and the recorded words followed.

"Log Date 7-11-2. The Steven has given me this Earth machine to replace my communicator log. It looks... extremely primitive. He also said he wanted me to stop calling him "the Steven". I said I'll call him whatever I want. He told me that was rude. I guess I'll call him...Steven." He pressed the fast forward button."The organic life forms of Earth have fascinating traits despite their poor choice of residence. I wonder if all of them of have flight capabilities. In conclusion, not all of the organic beings here can fly. Additionally it is without question that the perma-fusion Garnet is the worst." Garnet wasn't so bad nowadays- well, when she had been back on Earth. Fast forward. "Log Date 7-11-2...point 5. Today I was assigned a "chore"—cleaning duty. Like I'm the pearl! These clumps don't know how lucky they are to have me. Although while doing "chore", I did happen upon a container containing many... "shirts". Imagine- appearance modifiers that aren't melded to your body. " Back when she hadn't respected Pearl as much as she should have. In hindsight, she regretted that now. She wished she could apologize- but it was all too late now. Fast forward. "Log Date 7 12 2. Today marks the 30th earth rotation since my... capture. It seems the earth ones are constantly filling the voids of their life with meaningless distractions." Ah, the paint cans. She had missed them for a while, but the gem had quickly come to terms with her lack of height that wasn't artificially created via limb enhancers nor paint cans. Fast forward. "Hour 78 of Camp Pining Hearts. Percy is using his pogo stick to save her. Not to mention Percy is adept at aquatic sports. He would have won the canoe race if he weren't so busy drooling over Paulette, and the other part where Percy goes to the bottom of the lake to get Paulette's friendship bracelet proves that he has the largest lung capacity in the entire camp! And Pierre is a force to be reckoned with on land, when he hung bunk seven's underwear in the tree, the whole-"She fast forwarded. It's not like she would ever see Camp Pining Hearts again. So why bother listening to it? "Log Date 7-15-2...I can't believe I just did that! I disobeyed my orders and went against Yellow Diamond's wishes! I'm a traitorous clod! I never want to think about what I've done again!" Oh no. Oh no no no no no. Not that one. She couldn't play that- especially not here. Everyone on the Yellow Crystal knew she was a deserter, but she doubted that anyone besides the two gems in the control room at that one point in time ever spoke of her, the rogue Peridot, calling their authority a clod. She pressed stop. It kept playing. She pressed stop again. Nothing changed. "Dang it!" She growled, pressing the button over and over. "Stop playing, you clod!" Then it finally stopped. "Stupid machine!" She hissed, tossing it to the floor.

"Hey shortstack, can you shut up for once?" Spat a familiar voice, causing her to turn her head, facing the Obsidian in the cell across from hers. "What did you just call me, you clod?!?" She spat back, standing up and walking to the edge of her cell. "You heard me, midget. Why don't you go work for Blue Diamond? You'll feel like a giant with all the rubies." He sneered, his gem glistening as if the stone itself had the lively glint of the eye that should have been located there. "You take that back!" Peridot yelled, the whole exchange looking like two violent dogs in separate cages, barking and snarling threats although neither could reach each other. "Well, at least I'm a pure gem unlike you!" Peridot cried, putting all of her spite into her final remark. 

If the Obsidian was an animal, his ears would've dropped and his tail would have gone between his legs. The exclamation came out as a loud booming cry, like a gunshot through a glass vase, the hurtful words hitting him like shrapnel and cutting deep into his entire being. He growled, baring razor-sharp teeth at her, the single gauntlet appearing on his right hand. He said nothing more in response, or at least anything intelligible, since he let out a cry of rage and began his usual vicious assault on his small prison cell. Peridot blinked in shock, realizing how she had changed on Earth. Peridots were submissive. Not as submissive as Pearls, but they had no moral backbone against their superiors. Peridots took orders and collaborated amongst each other as equals, all the while remaining peacefully passive. 

Yet there she was, all fire and rage in a world where she was supposed to be cold and emotionless- merely a technician with a job to do. On Earth she had been thrust into the remnants of a civil war...a civil war on enemy territory. She found that part amusing, for the definition of civil war was a large group of people in a community taking sides and fighting each other on their own soil, not on someone else's land. Either way, she had been put in the middle of it, left to fend for herself as Jasper went off course with that stupid blue gem. She had been blind, too. Broken. Defective. It was useless to society, and then Jasper decided to fuse with it. Jasper. Fusing. Now that was definitely not in the itinerary. Peridot assumed Homeworld had planned to get Malachite somehow without the Crystal Gems noticing, since it was an enemy of the Crystal Gems and merely a gigantic, disastrous mistake for Homeworld. The monstrosity's actions towards the three rebels could be seen as an act of war, and declaring war at the wrong time would be disastrous for the Yellow Diamond Sector. But that wasn't her problem anymore. She was decommissioned. She was no longer considered part of the followers of Yellow Diamond and the Diamond Authority. She was just a rogue Peridot. A mistake. A defective gem. She was no better than Pearl now. 

To Homeworld, she was a mistake that needed to be eradicated. And eradicated is exactly what they would do to her


	8. Chapter Seven - Somewhere Out There

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *author returns after almost two months, proceeds to kick readers in the groin and runs*

Pearl sat on the roof, the rough sandpaper texture of shingles rubbing against her skin as she sat down. She looked up at the moon, glistening with its quiet beauty. She remembered when she had first came to Earth, all those years ago...

_Pearl walked alongside her Diamond, her sword at her side. At the time, Pink Diamond was exactly like her sisters, or at least in appearance. She was tall with supple lips, her legs long and slender; a face with piercing pink eyes with black diamond pupils, and the features of plump lips and a protruding nose making her look like some sort of angelic statue. Her long hair was bright pink and was braided into a single plait, falling to the square of her back. She was a Diamond standard. All of them looked alike in most ways. Strong features, tall stature, and most of all the eyes that -when visible, for Blue Diamond had taken a vow of identity in the form of a headdress (after her regeneration after a fatal incident, which had been recent for the time)- seemed to look into the very being of every gem and everything other creature they touched. Unlike her sisters, however, Pink Diamond had resigned herself to a white jumpsuit with pink stripes on the side, which had been cut into a pair of pants and a crop top to reveal her gem, which was a shining pink diamond in the center of her navel. Besides a pair of pink boots, she looked utterly plain, even for the standards of regular gems. Pearl, on the other hand, was dressed exactly like the rest of her sisters who served under Pink Diamond. Her hair was in a longer bob, with a long-sleeve white button-up shirt with puffs on the shoulders and ruffly pink cuffs at the end, with a matching pink cravat underneath. She sported watching pink pants with ballet flats, her outfit as pink and radiant as her Diamond's._

_Pearl had been chosen to be they only other person to be on this mission. She saw it as an honor to serve her ruler, and never bothered to question what said mission was about. Of course, she was curious, but Pearls, the lowest class of gem, would have never been permitted to speak like that to authority, let again their Diamond, who was the biggest authority of all to her. S_ _he had bonded with her ruler over the months and eventually years of travel, where the two had the biggest shake in their relationship as ruler and servant- Pink Diamond finally had explained why only Pearl came with her and why literally no other gems was assisting them with their departure of the Pink Diamond sector of Homeworld. She had fled. She did not want to rule, and found admiration for the planet her sisters were now trying to brutally take over as a foothold in this new area. Solaris, they had called it, but apparently out of its nine planets and single gleaming star in the center- there was a single planet that sustained sentient life. They called this place Earth, and the sector beyond their one rock the Solar System. Pink Diamond found herself fascinated towards these creatures, who for once had the potential roughly equal intelligence as the gems. They weren't as technologically advanced- for when Rose first was told of them they were ape-like creature hunting with sticks and living in caves, but she felt they needed protection. She left a hologram for her citizens that would detonate on command whenever she saw fit, which would tell her followers of earth and urge them to follow her to come protect it. And come they would. But not just yet- this specific memory took place on the third day of being on Earth. Pink Diamond had injured herself, falling off a rocky cliff- which later was revealed to be on purpose, since she had regenerated with a completely new form; a tall, busty humanoid with curly pastel pink hair, wearing a plain white dress. Her demeanor had changed, too. The last remnants of being a ruling Diamond that had still been implanted in her had been washed away by the regeneration. She refused to treat Pearl nothing less than an equal, the two of them exploring the highly organic planet before them._

_That third night, they made camp at a rocky seaside beach alongside a cliff face high above them. Pearl sat on a pile of dry driftwood they had collected, staring off towards the glistening white orb in the sky._

_"My Dia- Rose?" She had inquired, causing the gem to emerge from the tent. "_

_Yes, Pearl?"_

_"What is that...thing?" Pearl pointed to the orb, finally seeing it after all the cloudy nights since their arrival. "Is it an enemy craft?" She asked, a hand placed on the gem located on her forehead, about to summon her weapon._

_Suddenly, there was a chuckle, which elevated into a cute giggle. "That's a moon, Pearl. I know Homeworld doesn't have any close enough to see, but this one does. The star that this planet orbits reflects light onto it, so it glows." Rose replied, sitting on the piles of wood alongside her. "For the minor culture I've heard of from this evolving planet is that they believe the Earth is alive, and that their moon is, too. They explain the orbit of it as the moon being in love with the Earth, and revolving around her instead of becoming a planet itself in order to stay with her."_

 

Pearl felt tears trickling down her face as she looked away from the bright light of the moon, remembering the old tale Rose had told her about. Suddenly, she realized how it had applied to not just herself and Rose, but rather herself and Steven, too. She had stayed for Steven- to be a mother to him, to help him grow up and to help him learn how to use his powers. But now the Earth had left its Moon. And now the moon was useless.

For the first time in hundreds upon thousands of years, Pearl was without her Rose in every way or form.


	9. Chapter Eight - The Lab

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As an apology for disappearing for nearly 2 months, here's another chapter. Enjoy!

Steven eventually learned to stop fighting the Jaspers that pulled him along, and just let them drag him like a limp rag doll. In what appeared to be a lobby, a cry came from somewhere in the vast room. "Jaspers! I'll take him!" The voice said, a gem appearing before the Jaspers, its appearance hidden from Steven's view due to the towering figures of the two gems before him. "I have permission from Yellow Diamond to take him- here's the order." The voice continued, and Steven was dropped to the floor instantaneously, the Jaspers walking away to who-knows-where.

"Hello there. I am Crysocolla Facet-X2G Cut-957." She began, extending a hand down to help him up. Steven grabbed it, looking up at the gem. Crysocolla was about two feet taller than Steven, his skin a mix between turquoise and aqua blue. She wore a clear, blue-tinted visor much like Peridot's, which covered her eyes and left them with a blue hue. She had very plain medium-length hair that was mostly midnight blue that faded to jade green at the tips, and fell in slight waves. Unlike all the other gems Steven had encountered, she wore a long, bright white lab coat and a clipboard. She pursed her lips, deep in thought as her expressive eyes took in Steven's form, aggressively writing on her clipboard.

"Umm...hi. I-I'm Steven. Can I just call you Crysocolla? Or maybe something even shorter? Like Cryso?" The gem giggled, which made him smile. He hadn't seen anyone from Homeworld who was happy before. All of them seemed angry or just plain-out bitter. "I suppose a shorter name would suffice. Crysocolla is quite a mouthful." Steven gave a small smirk, looking up at her. "Cryso sounds too science-y. Can I call you Chrissy?" He asked hopefully. She laughed again. "I think that will work." The gem lead him though the halls of the ship, walking with complete confidence and elegance. Her expressive eyes, her upturned nose, and her beautiful smile...

"Steven? Are you alright?" Her voice broke Steven's train of thought, causing him to jump slightly, looking up at her.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something. You remind me of someone I used to know. She was a gem, too."

Crysocolla looked down at him, pleasantly intrigued. "Oh, really? What was she?"

"Lapis. Lapis Lazuli. She..she's not around anymore, but she was nice like you." he said, staring off into the distance as he spoke. "Well, was mean to everyone else, but she liked me."  
"A Lazuli? Where in the universe did you come across a _Lazuli_ in _this_ sector? Or even this _century_?" She asked, suddenly taken back by the mention of the gem.

"I...I found her in a mirror. Or rather, her gem was in a mirror...but why does it matter that she was there?"

"The only Diamond who has ever had Lapis Lazulis was Blue Diamond. But that was nearly _forty centuries_ ago. They were found to be useless when the War broke out...they were too feeble and weak. They weren't really fighters...nor were any of Blue Diamond's gems, really- but Lazulis were akin to Pearls for their ability to fight and their worth in wartime. So ever since then the gem was discontinued." Steven gawked at this new spurt of knowledge given to him.

"How do you know all that?" He asked, looking up at her as they walked. "I thought gems here were only told what they were supposed to do and how to do it...not all that extra stuff like history."

Crysocolla let out a slight chuckle, amused by his question. "You're right, actually. But I learned it from someone else. I'm not _technically_ supposed to know anything about history, but no one ever said I couldn't ask someone who _did_." She said, smiling smugly as they reached their destination.

A set of doors automatically opened with a swoosh, revealing a large area of dimmed lights and bright spotlights leading to open rooms that were abuzz with activity. He had once watched a TV show where it was a team of scientists working for the FBI who investigated murders. Their labs reminded him of the countless rooms, which were under dim light with bright white spotlights, or rather the blueish tint of blacklight for some. Crysocolla brought him into one of said chambers, automatic glass doors separating them from the main area, along with a second set of completely opaque ones that swooping in behind them, closing with a sense of quiet finality as the boy's last look at the rest of the ship outside was taken away.

The inside of the singular lab was more homey compared to any of the other labs Steven had seen, and probably even any other place on the ship he had seen. In the back of the rectangular room was a more scientific area with a stainless steel table covered in notes and chemical flasks of varying shapes and sizes, which held multiple colorful liquids; and cabinets lined the walk behind that. Towards the door, the area had a large desk that was 90% hidden from their view by a large filing cabinet- which was one of the many grey-beige structures that littered that side of the room. Unlike the futuristic looks of the other laboratories, this one was kept under white fluorescent lights, looking like some mundane office space on Earth with its dull, monochromatic theme. That is, except for the odd amount of posters littering the off-white walls.

Oddly enough, he recognized the majority of them: Van Gogh's Starry Night, an Andy Warhol piece of Marilyn Monroe, a photo of a march with Martin Luther King Jr. leading the crowd, and another photo of at least ten young men in early 1900s clothing sitting upon a large steel beam that was hanging above the old buildings of Empire City. The gem's voice is what brought him out of his trance-like admiration of the images, automatically feeling more at home with the Earthly photos there. "Steven, this is the person I learned all of that history from. Meet-" A voice cut of Crysocolla, a gem appearing from behind the filing cabinet near the desk, speaking flamboyantly. "- _the amazing Atlantean Lovestar!_ "

Crysocolla sighed, covered his face in her hands in annoyance. "Steven, meet _Candle Crystal Quartz._ "

* * *


End file.
